


somewhere along the middle

by markerlimes (sunmi)



Category: League of Legends RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 08:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5410532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunmi/pseuds/markerlimes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>shitty roommates imp/deft, college au</p><p>with Seungbin living next door (in the kitchen eating Hyukkyu’s food, in his bathroom using too much toilet paper, in Hyukkyu’s room rolling around in his sheets), every day is a struggle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	somewhere along the middle

**Author's Note:**

> cohabitation (n.)- to live together as if married, for better or for worse.

 

 **-** **Monday-**

Hyukkyu comes home to a stack of dishes in the sink, the refrigerator door left open and the culprit himself passed out on the couch.

Seungbin’s drooling on the cushions, his glasses crooked and hanging off the tip of his nose. It looks as though he’s been asleep for quite a while even though it’s really only 10PM.

Beneath Seungbin’s body is a stack of notebooks, completely untouched from the looks of it, and beyond that a half-empty energy drink comically placed on the edge of the table just outside the range of Seungbin’s arm.

He’s curled in on himself and without any blankets, he looks terribly tiny. Hyukkyu thinks about taking photos to send into the group chat, before realizing with a slight frown- what a terribly Seungbin-like thing it would be to actually do so.

Instead, Hyukkyu tiptoes gingerly through the carnage of cardboard boxes and sets his backpack down on the barely visible ground. He tosses a blanket over Seungbin’s shivering form and then when his conscious finally wins out- begrudgingly moves in closer to slide the glasses off Seungbin’s face.

“Mmthanks,” Seungbin mumbles and Hyukkyu smiles in spite of himself before moving away to turn off the light.

 

 

**-Tuesday-**

 

Hyukkyu comes home after his club meeting to find Seungbin in the kitchen. He blinks twice and yep, Seungbin is actually in the kitchen.

“Hey there,” Seungbin waves. He’s even got an apron tied around his waist which is disorienting for a many reasons, one of which is that Hyukkyu is one hundred percent sure that they don’t own any aprons in the apartment.

“This is new,” he comments and Seungbin beams back at him.

“Welcome home,” he says. He waves a spatula into the air with something that looks like murder on a spoon.

“Did you? Are you?” Hyukkyu watches him duck behind the counter to check something in the oven.

“Calm down,” Seungbin rolls his eyes in an ever dramatic fashion. “I know it looks bad, but it’s just red velvet. I’m making-”

“You’re baking,” Hyukkyu finishes blankly. He stares at the aluminum plate in the oven. “You’re baking cupcakes.”

“There’s some good stuff in there,” he replies with a raised brow. “If you know what I mean.”

“I don’t think I want to,” Hyukkyu says, but he sets his bag down on the ground and walks into the kitchen all the same.

Surprisingly there’s nothing on fire. In fact, the oven’s not turned on at all.

“Did you umm,” Hyukkyu says and Seungbin makes a hmm noise behind him. "Turn on the oven?"

“I thought I did.” He bends over to poke a few buttons and then turns back over to face Hyukkyu. “Did that do the trick?”

Hyukkyu shrugs. He knows maybe even less about making food than Seungbin, but the difference is that he’s fully aware of his lack of culinary expertise. Seungbin on the other hand seems to delight in every opportunity to mess with fire. Hyukkyu starts to back out of the kitchen when Seungbin cuts off his retreat.

“You’re done with class for the day right?” Seungbin asks and he follows Hyukkyu out of the kitchen into his room. Before Hyukkyu gets a chance to nod, Seungbin wraps an arm around him. He plops down on Hyukkyu’s chair and gives it a spin.

“Do you wanna duo queue with me?” He bats his lashes in a stupid way that’s supposed to look coy, but only makes Hyukkyu want to reach for metaphorical pepper spray.

“I have a paper due Friday,” Hyukkyu immediately counters. Seungbin doesn’t even hesitate.

“So?” he says and then drags Hyukkyu by the wrist towards the computer.

“Look at her Hyukkyu,” Seungbin says. “She misses you.” He pushes the power button and makes an over-dramatic gesture. “Listen to her purr. It’s time to wreck some poor kid’s elo today.”

"I have a paper and a lot of assignments," Hyukkyu counters. He pries Seungbin's grip off his wrist and pushes him out of his chair. He bends down to pick up his backpack before realizing that he left it outside in the common room. Seungbin of course follows him out.

“Hyukkyu please. Play with hyung,” Seungbin pleads. “I’ll even make dinner.”

"I'm not hungry," Hyukkyu says politely and when that fails he tries- "I mean I already ate."

He pulls his backpack up to the table and pulls out a folder. Seungbin lets out a scoff at the sight of his color coded notes, but Hyukkyu pays him no attention. He slides a worksheet out, the one due tomorrow, and manages to write his name on the top line before it gets snatched out from under him.

"You liar." Seungbin is the patron saint of finishing work while drunk. He takes a long, hard look at the worksheet in his hand. “Besides you don’t need to know this stuff,” he waves a hand over. "Let's go play some League."

Hyukkyu opens his mouth to retort but Seungbin beats him to the punch. "Don't pretend you have anything better to do."

Seungbin grins, triumphant one moment and then his eyes go wide as the scent of smoke suddenly bursts from the oven. He cranes his neck over and Hyukkyu can only watch in horror as the puddle of blood-colored goo bursts into flames and the sprinklers above their heads spring to life.

 

 

**-Wednesday-**

 

Wednesday is, oddly normal. Nothing breaks. Seungbin doesn’t set anything on fire and even the ramen Hyukkyu makes only slightly tastes like dish detergent.

They do, however, run out of toilet paper.

“It’s your turn to get it,” Seungbin says and because he’s an asshole, uses the last 8 squares in one go. The convenience store is 5 blocks away and Hyukkyu has to pee so badly.

He runs to store in record time, but doesn’t quite make it back in time. He ends up having to make an emergency landing at Dayoon’s apartment, frantically knocking at the door and hoping Dayoon’s roommate isn’t the one who answers.

“You really shouldn’t have to put up with this,” Dayoon says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world as Hyukkyu pushes past him to the bathroom. “Just buy your own toilet paper and have him buy his. That’s what Inkyu and I do.”

Hyukkyu doesn’t think he’s petty enough to buy single ply toilet paper for Seungbin to use and secretly keep a stash of higher quality toilet paper on the side for himself. He also doesn’t have the heart to tell Dayoon that it’s a particularly petty thing to do because Hyukkyu knows as hard as Seungbin is to live with, Inkyu might even be worse.

If possible.

“It’s really okay,” Hyukkyu says, washing his hands in the sink as Dayoon gives him an incredulous stare. “Thanks for letting me use your bathroom again.”

“No problem,” Dayoon shrugs. “Just stop letting him use all your toilet paper.”

Hyukkyu opens his mouth to protest that: no, Seungbin was not in fact using all the toilet paper and that on good nights Seungbin was the one who actually remembered to buy it from the store more often than not- but Dayoon raises a hand to stop him.

“I know what you’re going to say,” he says with a grimace. He turns back towards the hallway, projecting his voice so that Inkyu can hear them from down the hall, and gives Hyukkyu a small wink. “Just don’t make it a habit.  I might have to start charging you for using mine.”

 

 

**-Thursday-**

 

Seungbin comes home late from work and judging from the flush on his cheeks, he’s already drunk. Hyukkyu’s fears are only confirmed when Seungbin lumbers through the doorway and crashes into him, knocking them both onto the couch.

“Hyukkyu,” Seungbin slurs, breathing into his neck. “I’ve been thinking on the way home.”

Hyukkyu freezes, bewildered as Seungbin pulls at his shirt insistently. “I realized that your name is so chant-able. Here listen.”

Before Hyukkyu gets a chance to push him off, Seungbin clambers up onto his lap, an enlightened expression on his face as he clears his throat.

“Hyuk, kyu. Hyukkyuu, Hyukkyukyukyukyu,” Seungbin giggles. “Did you hear that?”

“You are so drunk,” Hyukkyu replies in wonder and feels immediately regretful that he took Sehyung's number off speed dial the other day. Sehyung always knows what to do when Seungbin gets like this. He’s practically the drunk Seungbin whisperer- the master of getting Seungbin to sober up with maximum damage control.

He leans across the table to grab his phone and instantly Seungbin locks onto his movement.

“Don’t leave me,” Seungbin pouts, but Hyukkyu is already out of reach. It’s taken him a long time to be as evasive as he is now.

“I’m going to get you some water,” he explains, but the crushed expression on Seungbin’s face doesn’t fold.

“Don’t want water,” he huffs childishly. “I want you.”

“I’m right here,” Hyukkyu says, reaching his arm out. “See?”

The minute his hand comes within range, Seungbin pounces on him and refuses to let go.

“You're warm,” Seungbin says giddily. “I like it.”

It’s not a confession. Seungbin says all kinds of questionable shit, drunk or sober, but the rare streak of honesty in his voice has Hyukkyu a little taken aback.

“Just let me go get water,” Hyukkyu says and when Seungbin only holds onto him tighter, adds. “Please, I’ll come right back, I promise.”

It takes a second, but then Seungbin peels his fingers away and Hyukkyu practically sprints into the kitchen. His fingers fly across the phone screen trying to find Sehyung in the directory and then waits. The phone takes him straight to voicemail. Sehyung is probably out drinking himself which means Hyukkyu is up to bat. He sucks in a deep breath and pulls the cabinet wide open. From there he grabs a glass and fills it in the sink before rushing back over to Seungbin.

To his surprise, Seungbin hasn't passed out on the couch. He's wide awake and sitting there expectantly as Hyukkyu hands him his glass of water.

"You," Seungbin appears to consider the rest of the sentence for a brief moment. "You came back."

Hyukkyu doesn't know what else to do but nod. "Here's your water." 

"You're the best Hyukkyu," Seungbin slurs and then pushes the water away from himself to grab onto Hyukkyu's hands. He peers up at Hyukkyu, eyes glassy and round. "Have I ever told you-"

"Not now hyung," Hyukkyu sighs and to his utter surprise, Seungbin relents.

He tilts his head back and for once, just sits there and lets Hyukkyu tip the water down his stubborn throat.

 

 

**-Friday-**

 

Seungbin waiting for his game to load when a loud crash in the hallway catches his attention. He gets up from his chair and is immediately greeted with the sight of Hyukkyu soaked and stumbling out from the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his body. Seungbin lifts a brow and tries not to make it too obvious where his eyes are roaming.

“What happened to you?” Seungbin asks when Hyukkyu stifles a curse and wraps the towel around himself, as if there’s anything to hide that Seungbin hasn’t already seen.

It’s quite pathetic really.

“You used all the warm water. You-” Hyukkyu shivers. “It was freezing in there.”

“Boohoo,” Seungbin cackles. “I told you to wait another 30 minutes for the heater to start up, but no. You didn’t listen, did you?”

Hyukkyu shakes his head and the movement sends little droplets flying. A couple of them land on Seungbin’s arm, ice cold. Hyukkyu wasn’t kidding.

“I told you to wait,” Seungbin says, pouring every ounce of 'I told you so' he can into those five words. He walks around Hyukkyu- grinning as Hyukkyu flinches to the side- to grab another towel out of cabinet and flings it over to him. Hyukkyu catches it awkwardly with one hand, his other hand too preoccupied with keeping the towel around him wrapped tightly.

“If you want, we can shower together next time,” Seungbin calls out and Hyukkyu goes unbelievably scarlet, an impressive feat with how pitifully cold he looks. 

“I’m just going to wait,” Hyukkyu says, ducking his head down and turning back down the hall into his room.

Seungbin watches him waddle cutely and close the door behind him, leaving a puddle of ice water in his wake.

“You know it’ll be warmer if you just shower with me,” he can’t resist adding, and it’s honestly a little disappointing when Hyukkyu chooses to ignore him in favor of getting dressed.

 

 

**-Saturday-**

 

Saturday marks the start of the Spring Split for LCK. Samsung Ozone is playing NaJin White Shield and it goes without saying which team Seungbin is rooting for.

Hyukkyu doesn’t play as much as he used to, but he’s still got a fantasy league team and a whole lot of money riding in bets against Dayoon on the success of CJ Entus this season. He’s not nearly as obsessed as Seungbin who spends his free time either playing League or drinking, or more often than not both at the same time.

It’s funny to think about how easily it faded out of his life. League that is.

Now that he thinks about it, League is the main reason Hyukkyu got stuck living with Seungbin in the first place. No one else had been willing to fork over 45,000 won a month on internet to play League with minimal lag. Back at the start of the year, it had been almost the first criteria Hyukkyu checked off when looking for potential roommates. Now days, Hyukkyu barely touches his account and still pays 45,000 won on top of rent to live with Seungbin who makes a hobby out of testing Hyukkyu’s limits.

Even so, it’s never occurred to him to move out.

They make ramen (the shittiest chicken flavored kind) in the microwave for dinner and settle down onto the couch to watch the game. Hyukkyu’s still a little too traumatized to touch the stove and Seungbin seems to have learned his lesson, but god only knows how long that will last.

Normally they have more people over to watch the game or they’ll head over to Sehyung’s place to have a watch party of some sort. Today it’s just them. Rituals are like habits, they take time to build and the effort it takes to deconstruct one too much of a hassle in Seungbin’s opinion. So today it’s just him and Hyukkyu. Hyukkyu and Seungbin sitting at home and watching tv.

The game is a slow grind kind of game. It takes an eternity to get through the picks and ban phase and Seungbin’s out of beer before the first turret even goes down.

“I can’t believe how slow this game is,” Seungbin comments. He sets his empty beer can down on the table and plays with the metal tab until it breaks off.  

“I’ve played worse,” Hyukkyu murmurs, but Seungbin can already hear the slow creep of sleep softening the edges of his voice.

“That’s not the point,” Seungbin says, folding his arms over his chest even though he knows Hyukkyu isn’t looking. “The point is that Samsung wins.”

“Well then I hope they win,” Hyukkyu replies blearily as he stretches and pulls a blanket over his lap.

“Would you put money down on that?” Seungbin asks jokingly and he cranes his head over in time to see Hyukkyu nod off- the exact moment his eyes flutter shut and his mouth falls open in a small ‘o’.  The soft sound of white noise from the TV is enough to remind Seungbin that things aren’t really in slow motion.

The TV is still playing the match in all its slow, sleep-inducing glory, but in this moment all Seungbin wants to look at is Hyukkyu. Hyukkyu and his doll like lashes fanned out sleepily against the white of his cheek. Hyukkyu and his ridiculous head full of alpaca hair and his skinny, skinny little wrists.

Hyukkyu’s hand is limp, resting on the side of the cushion right next to Seungbin’s. Seungbin stares at it for a disproportionately long time and for no reason other than the one that’s been coiled at the bottom of his chest for god knows how long, he feels a sudden flaring want to cross those last few centimeters of cushions and link their little fingers together.

It feels oddly like trespassing, something Seungbin is no stranger to yet this time he’s keenly aware that this is something he only wants to do when Hyukkyu is paying full attention. Hyukkyu’s breaths are warm, steady and deep as Seungbin pushes in closer and settles for resting his cheek against the edge of Hyukkyu’s arm.

 

 

**-Sunday-**

 

Sunday for Hyukkyu begins with his entire arm numb up to the shoulder and something damp pressing against his sleeve. He shifts, muscles cramped from sleeping in a sitting position all night and registers something blonde tickling his chin. He rubs his eyes with his free hand and when his vision finally clears he realizes it’s Seungbin’s hair, Seungbin’s head, Seungbin’s whole body pressed up against his.

To his credit, Hyukkyu doesn’t shriek or yell or do anything really, but the sudden tension in his body is enough to alert Seungbin that he’s awake.

“Morning, or I guess it’s more like good afternoon,” Seungbin says groggily and it’s one of the few times he sounds soberly tired. He leans his full weight against Hyukkyu’s arm and the small movement sends tingles- spidery tickling sensations down to Hyukkyu's fingertips.

“By the way, you snore like a monster,” Seungbin comments and Hyukkyu stifles the urge to push him off the couch and onto the floor.

“Leave me alone,” he mumbles and Seungbin, of course, ignores his complaint. He slides over next to Hyukkyu and rolls right on top of him.

“You’re heavy too,” Seungbin giggles which doesn’t make any sense at all given that he’s on top. He peers up to look at Hyukkyu and sticks his tongue out in a way that’s disarmingly cute.

Hyukkyu looks away, breaks eye contact on the spot, and ends up staring at the damp stains on his sleeve. He wrinkles his nose on instinct and doesn’t even bother hiding his disgust. “Gross. You drooled all over my shirt.”

“You deserved it,” Seungbin chuckles. “That’s what happens when you fall asleep first.”

He says it easily, like there have been so many previous instances where Hyukkyu fell asleep first and as punishment Seungbin fell asleep on top of him. It should be strange, thinking of the two of them in that context, but what’s stranger is that it isn’t at all.

Hyukkyu’s not dumb.

He and Seungbin are never going to have that kind of relationship. The kind where there’s morning cuddling, neck touching and bare feet under blankets, but then Hyukkyu turns his cheek over and sees Seungbin looking at him with this stupidly fond look and just the idea of it makes Hyukkyu’s whole body warm.

Seungbin immediately senses his embarrassment and perks up. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Hyukkyu mumbles and tries to dive under his corner of the quilt to mild success.

Seungbin digs him out before he can complete the blanket cocoon and pins his arm down. He looks at Hyukkyu seriously even though his tone remains light. “Tell hyung what’s wrong.”

“I hate Mondays,” Hyukkyu says which is a half lie because with Seungbin around, Mondays are bearable. Tuesdays aren’t that bad either even with the oven in flames and regardless of his late night lab on Thursday, he’s made it through each week every time. Seungbin’s the one always been shit at taking care of himself, Hyukkyu knows that. He also knows that regardless if Hyukkyu is there or not, Seungbin will still survive. He managed it somehow for a year before Hyukkyu came to college.

“Who doesn’t hate Monday?” Seungbin laughs, but he looks disappointed for some reason. He shifts like he’s ready to move away and get on with what’s left of the day, and Hyukkyu instantly feels stupid for the little whine that escapes his throat.

“What’s wrong?” Seungbin asks sounding genuinely concerned. “Are you hungry?”

“A little,” Hyukkyu lies.

Seungbin, as if he knew Hyukkyu better after all, flops back down instead. He leans his full weight back against Hyukkyu and the pressure of it on his ribs feels so warm, snug even. “Go make me food then.”

“No,” Hyukkyu shakes his head with a smile. “You go make me food.”

“I’ll pay you if you get up and make me food right now,” Seungbin goads and Hyukkyu perks up at that. “How much?”

He shifts, getting ready to push Seungbin’s weight off him when Seungbin snuggles in closer.

“Forget it,” Seungbin says, pushy as ever. He curls back onto Hyukkyu’s side, latching on with newfound determination. “Mission aborted. I don’t want food anymore. Let’s order take out later.”

“The things I put up with,” Hyukkyu huffs quietly. He catches himself before the “for you” at the end of the sentence can make it out, but from the haughty look on Seungbin’s face he might as well have said it.

“You know you love me,” Seungbin grins. He pats the top of Hyukkyu’s belly and makes sure to tickle his ribs. The laughter that falls from his lips is genuine if not a little muffled.

Maybe this is where it starts: in the living room, on the couch to be exact- two boys huddled in blankets, morning breath and mussed up hair, with Seungbin’s ankle brushing his every time he stretches.

 


End file.
